Machine for making wire-bound boxes.



R. G. INWOOD & G. G. CHAPMAN.

MACHINE FOR MAKING WIRE BOUND BOXES.

\ APPLICATION FILED NOV.9,1907.

913,896, A Patented Mar. 2, 1909.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

@Ma/Ld 4177M 10m 9.00771. QZJJa m (36 R. G. INWOOD & G. G. CHAPMAN.

MACHINE FOR MAKING WIRE BOUND BOXES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.9, 1907.

913,896. I Patented Mar. 2, 1909.

3 SHEBTS-SHEET 2.

I R. G. INWO'OD ti; 0. C. CHAPMAN.

MACHINE FOR MAKING WIRE BOUND BOXES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.9,1907.

91 3,,fi96 Patented Mar. 2, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

'- M f, efiuwzrd '19 I a a u M OJ $1M:

earns PATENT union.

RICHARl -G. INWOOD AND CHESTER CHAPMAN, UF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA,ASSIGNOltS TO NATIONAL WIRE BOUND BOX (0, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, ACORPORATION OF INDIANA.

mfeiasee.

Specification of Letters Ifatent.

.MACRIINE FOR MAKING WIRE-BOUND BOXES.

Patented March 2, 1909.

i Application filed November 9, 1907. fierial No. 101,522.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Brennan G. INwoon and .Onnsrnn C. CHAPMAN, citizensof the United States, residing at South Bend, in the countyof St. Josephand State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Iniprovementsin Machines for Making Wire Bound Boxes, of which the following is aspecification. j

Our inventionrelates to improvements in machines for uniting bodies ofassembled members or blanks, or the like, preferably with staples forthe purpose of fastening them together, and more especially forstitching or sta ling to each other in proper relation thes eets, cleatsand bindin wires to produce blanks from which wire-bound rcceptacles,boxes, or other packages are to be constructed.

The wire-bound boxes referred to are usually rectangular in shape andhaving solid ends, the four sides being sheets or strips of thin lumber,or veneer, reinforced with inside cleats, step-mitered togetherat theirends, and with binding-wires extending around the said four sides. i

The principal object of the invention is to provide a machine. of noveland improved construction for makin more especially, the reinforcedveneer ,blan 's to form the four sides of boxes as above described,which machine shall be of particularly simple-and durableconstruction,easy td 0 crate, and capable of manufacturing the .inished blanks withcomparatively great rapidity and certainty'. 5

In the operation of our improved machine, in its preferred form, thecleats and sheet, .or sheet sections necessary for a complete blank forthe four sides of the boil: when folded, are assembled,.one series at atime, in. proper relation upon guides which pass beneath the stapleforming and drivin devices. The cleats and sheets are held in the properspaced relation between the sections by spacin blocks, which, with theassembled cleats an sheetare caused to slide in the guides beneath thestaple drivers, and as each section is stapled the spacing blocks areconducted to a point beneaththe front of the machine within easy reach aof the operator, whereupon they are a ain positioned upon the guides thespacer locks to be used over and over, and requiring the use of but twospacing blocks to a machine. Means are also provided on the carrier forfeeding binding or strengthening wires beneath the staples, to bestraddled thereby as they are driven through the. sheet into the cleats,and for thrusting such wires ahead in a etc by step motion alternatingwith the'operation of the stitching or stapling devices. This is one ofthe novel features of our invention, as the binding wire, during theoperation of stitching or stapling, also serves as a means for feedingeach section through the machine after the first staple is driven, aswell as the finished sections previously operated upon; thus providingair exceedingly simple and effective automatic feed. In other] words thebinding wires which form a permanent part of the box sectionstemporarily serve as a means, in connection with mechanism forpositively feeding such wires, for feeding the assembled sectionsthrough the machine to be operated upon by the stapling devices.

In the accompanyin drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of themachine. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section taken on a line X X ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the machine. Fig. 4 is aperspective view showing the four sections of a complete box blankbefore being folded. Fig. 5 IS a perspective view of the finished box.View of one of the spacing blocks used to hold the cleats and sheets inproper spaced relation While passing through the machine. Fig. 7 is anend view of the same. Fig. 8 1s a fragmentary plan view of one end ofthe box blank material, together with portions of the guide, the spacinblock, and the binding wire in assembled relation. Fig. 9 is a sine viewof the parts shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a erspective view of a ortionof the guide s owing a spacing b ock slidably mounted thereon.

As illustrated, the machine comprises suit able end standards, 1,adapted to support the operative parts of the machine, and are connectedby suitable brace rods 2 and 3.

These standards are provided at their upper ends with slots 4 serving asguides for a s ing cross-head 5, carrying parts of a plurality of stapleformers and drivers 6., These staple formers and 'drivers are relativelyadjustable for different widths .of. box

Fig. 6 is a perspective blanks, so that each may be pro orly positionedto drive wires through the binding wires-in s astride tie bindingmediate the end wires set into the cleats. The.

.low the sliding cross head and connected to'the standards 1 and uponwhich the re- 'inaining part of the staple forming and drivirom;

' one of the standards 1 an has its free end driven ,so long as ingdevir es are adjustably mounted, and cooperate with theaforementionedlstapling forming and driving parts, to form the stapleand drive the same into the assembled blank materialas the latter is fedthrough the machine. These staple drivers and formers may be of suitableconstruction, as they in themselves form no part of the presentinvention, and a detailed description. of the mechanism for forming anddriving the staples not iven, it being suflicient to say that the wiresfrom which the staples are formed are fed or supplied from reels, orready made staples may be fed from a hopper, as may be preferred.

Mounted upon one end of the driving shaft 8 which is journaled insuitable bearings Qflis a power pulley 10. This (pulley is looselymounted upon the shaft an is provide'd. with any suitable positiveclutch mechanism 11, which is operable to couple the pulley to the shaftand to release it there- A foot-lever 12 is ivoted at 13 to connected tothe free end of a tripping bar i l by a linlrlS. The bar 1% is arrangedvto hold the key (not shown) with which the clutch mechanism is closedand disconnected, helical spring 16 suspnded from a bracket 1'? andconnected to said bar near its free endserving to normally holdthetripping bar elevated. The power shaft is thus only ressure isapplied to the loot lever .12, whic action releases the tripping leverand allows the clutch mechanism to. close. Any suitable clutch mechanismmay be used, and the particular manner or controlling the same isdescribed only as a preferable form and operatesto retain the machinein. operation only so long as the operator retains his foot upon thefoot lever, tl'iereby giving -him,perf ect control at all tines over thest ling operations.

Mounted upon the drive shaft-8 are eccentries 18 which are connected tosliding blocks 19 by pitmen 1 20. These sliding blocks move in theIslets-or ways i in the standards 1 and are partially a continuation orthe upper sliding cross-head 5, so that the operation of the eccentricsimparts an up and down movement to said cross-head and the stapleforming and driving devices mounted thereon. v

Secured to the standards on the front or feed side of the machine is afixed shaft 21 upon which relatively adj ustable brackets-22 aremounted, and carrying upper and lower gears 23 and 2% adapted to meshwith each erases other. Formed integral with these gears are fi'eed'wheels, the lower oneof'which is formed with a peripheral groove 25 andthe upper one with a peripheral rib 26 which is knurled on its face andextends into said groove and grips the binding wire 0, the object ofwhich 18 to provide a positive feed for such wires, and feeding the sameuniformly and accu rately in a step by stop motion through the guidetubes 27 to a pointboneath the staple drivers coincident with the driveof the staples. The smaller gears'24 may be mounted upon eccentricshafts 29 and herd in yieldable engagement with the larger or drive gear23, bj contracting springs 30 fixed at their 11 per ends to the sides ofthe brackets 22, and t eir lower ends connectedwith the free ends ofinwardly extending rods 31 carried by said eccentric shafts. Thisprovides a yielding support and permits wire to be fed of varying gagewithout necessitating readjustment of any of the parts of the feedmechanism.

"he iced is controlled by a shaft 28 journaled in the standards 1, whichprojects through the gears 23 and is provided with a longitudinal slot(not shown) which is engaged. by keys carried by said gears so as toimpart an intermittent rotary motion thereto and at the same time allowfreedom of relative adjustment of the brackets 22 upon which the gearsare mounted. The shaft 28 projects beyond the end of machine as at 32upon the end of which a well known form of ratchet and pawl mechanism 33is mounted.

The pawl is actuated intermittently by a con- 100 necting rod 34 pivotedat its upper end to the pawl and at it lower end to t e adjacenteccentric 18. T e pivotal point of this connecting rod is eccentric tothe main drive shaft and designed tdgive fihefshaft 28 a partial turn105' during the-u stroke of the eccentric, thus feeding thejbmding wireduring the interval in which the stapling devices are on their upstroke.In other words, causing the feed of the binding wire to alternate withthe driving 1 10 or" the staples. A like mechanism '36 as abovedescribedior feeding the binding wires may be employed for-feeding thestapling wires to the staple forming and driving devices, theintermittent rotation of a shaft 37 115 which actuates the feed wheels,being accomplished by a lever 38 fulcrumed at39 to a bracket, andprovided with an anti-friction wheel 40 which rests u on a cam 41mounted upon the main drives aft. said lever is connected with a pawl 42mounted upon the shaft 37 adjoining a ratchet wheel 43 by a connectingrod 44; The cam 41 thus imparts an up and down motion to the lever 38and through its connections to 125 the shaft 37 actuates the staplingwire feeding mechanism 36. 1 I

In the assembling of the'parts which comprise the box sections, it isnecessary to hold these parts in proper relation to each other 130 Thefree end of i 7 ends of the guides erases during the feeding of the samethrough the machine, and for that pur osc we employ two oppositelydisposed guii e bars, 45. The inner end of these guides are providedwith an enlargement 46 to serve an anvil, being channeled, to fit over afixed beam 47, to which they may be locked against displacement by setscrews 48, the outer ends of the guides {45 projectirn beyond t.-.cmachine and supported interme late their ends by a cross bar 49. Theanvil part of these guides are positioneddireotly below the point atwhich the staples are driven. The binding wires interinediate the endwires are straddled by the staples which are driven throughthe sheet andupset or clenched by the staple ends coming in contact with an anvil 50-adjustablynnounted upon the supporting beam 47, as no cleats are used atthe center of the sheets. The guides 45 are slidable upon their supports4-? and may be relatively ad justed fordid'erent widths of box blanks.The guides are provided with spaced ribs 51 and 52 extending upwardlyfrom their base, forming a channel into which the cleats are placed andheld-against lateral displacement. The base of each guide extends beyondthe rib 52 thereof and serves as a seat upon which a spacer block forspacing the cleats endwise may rest. The spacing blocks are each formedin two portions 53-54- separated by a guide way, the portion. 54 bearingin the channel between the ribs 51 and 2- and the portion 53 bearingupon the base of the guide at the opposite side of the rib 552, with theseparating guide wav bearing over the rib The portion 53 longer-than theportlon 54 and thus provides a relatively ong bearing surface upon thebase and thus materially increases the steadiness of the movement. Theportion 54 is also formed with reversely inclined faces 55 against whichthe ends of the cleats A abut. The portions 53 are also euchprovidedwith an upright pin 56 which serves to space the ends of the veneersheets which form the b0 sides in rope-r relation to each other, so thatthey will no t bind when folded. The pins being located in the portionsof the blocks 0 not interfere with the binding-wires or the action ofthe stapling-ma chanism. Located beneath the guides -15 and suitablysupported, is an inclined chute 57, its upper end extending slightlybeyond the inner end of the guides, to receive the spacing blocks asthey fall from the guides and conduct them by gravity to a pointconvenient to the operator. A platform or table 58 may also be employedto receive the finished box blanks, an open space between the inner anthe table being prope s-in blocks to drop vided to permit l into theaforemen ionedchute.

The operation of the machincis substantially follows:

The operator may corn-.3

sheets of veneer are then disposed u on the cleats with their adjacentedges a utting f against the upwardly extending spacing pins 561 on thespacing blocks. l sheets for the first two blank sections being- {nowassembled in 1 proper relation to other, the operator manuallyiorwardend portion of the same under the stapling devices in the first staples.be advanced so as to rest yond the end of the sheet and coincident withthe staples to be driven. The operator "now trips the clutch 11 by de'essing the foot lever 12, thus motion and causing the staples to bedriven astride the bindingwircs through the veneer sheets into thecleats, and

the sheets intermediate the cleats and upon and extend beclenching themupon the anvil member 50.

one operation of the stapling devices 1 the binding wires are firmlyattached to the assembled material 1 After root and cleats, and the ofthat section of the blank is thereafter auto-' matically fed through themachine by the '90 positive feed of the binding Wires which are thrustalong by the feed-wheels in a stop bv i stop motion alternating inaction with the stapling devices. When the last staples are driven intothe first blanlesection the assenlbled material for the second sectionis pushed ahead by the o )erator, against the intervening spaccrbloclrs,to receive its first staples, after which it also is fed alongstep-by-step by the intermittently-opcrating wire-thrusting food-wheels.The third and fourth blank-sections are assembled and fed along in thesame way, the machine being stopped after the last staples have been drven in the blank. a l it will thus be noted that an exceedingly Isimple, cll'ectivc and novel automatic feeding device is provided, inwhich the binding wire which forms a permanent part oi" the box blank,and which is severed as the four sections of the blank are completed,momenl tarily serves as a means in connection with l the wire feedingmechanism to feed the as lscniblod box blank through the machine.

lAs each section of the blank is completed u work recelvlng table, l

' and passes onto the the spacing blocks dro oil the end of the lguidesinto the chute l l to be taken up again The box blank herein rel-erredto con ieretofore described", by the opcratorand z 1 used over and over,thusrequiring but two n'oper position to receive binding wires are nowso u The cleats and 1 each 75': 7 slides the as- 1 sernbled materialforward so as to bring the f setting the drive shaft in 85 I likewisethrough 1 1 sists of four sections as shown in Fig. 4, and 1'3 binding105 3:

consists of the cleats A, the sheets B, the

I binding or reinforcing wires C and the staples 155% This blank whenfolded into rectangular shape forms thefour, sides of the box. The

5-box ends are nailed or stapled to the inner side of the cleats in anydesired manner,

function of the resent machine.

Having thus escribed our invention, what we claim-is:

1. In a machine of the class described, a supporting frame includingspaced side members, a bar extending between said side memand s acing'membersthrougb the machine.

2. n a. machine of the class described, the combination of guiding meansfor the assembled blank material, means to guide the binding wires onsaid blank material, means for stapling said binding wires to the blankmaterial, gripping means engaging the binding wire rearwardly of thetapling means, means for operating said gripping means -'to feed the.wire through the machine, the

wire 0 erating to feed the blank material throng i the machine. a l

3. In a machine of the class described, a supportingframe, anvils suported on the frame, guiding means for t o assembled blank material andflush with said anvils,

spacing members adapted to space the as sembled material, means to guidethe bind ing material on thelblanks, stapling devices supportedby saidframe above said anvils and adapted to staple-the binding wire to theterial through the blanks, and means for feeding the binding wirethrough the machine, lhe binding wire operating to feed the blankmaterial to the machine. l

4'. In a machine of the lclass described, the combination of' guidingmeans for the assembled blank material, means for stapling binding wireto the blank material, feeding means operating on said binding wire, anda guiding means for the binding wire curving adjacent to the material toguide the binding wire into position upon-the blank material, thebinding wire operating to-feed the mamachine.

5. .In a machine of class described the combination of guiding means forthe assembled blank material, spacing members adapted ,to space theassembled materi'" proper relation, means forieeding saidgblarik'material and spacing members through the machine, and means independentof the themanner of accomplishing which is not a spacing members toreceive and return said spacing members to the feed side of the machine.

6. In a machine of the class described, guiding means for the assembledblank material, s acing members adapted to s ace the assemb ed material,means for ui ing the binding wires on the blanks, stap ilng devices forstapling the binding wires onthe blanks and means for feeding thebinding wires forwardly in a step by step motion alternately in actionwith the'stapling devices, the bind- 7 ing wires operating to feed theblank ma terial through the machine.

7. In a machine of the class described, stapling devices, guiding meansfor the assembled blank material, spacin members adapted to space theassembled material,-

and to drop below the guides as the material is fed forwardly, means forguiding the binding wire upon the blank material, means for securingthebinding wire to the material, means for feeding the binding wire,said binding wire operating to feed the blank material and spacingmembers through the machine, and. means for returning said spacingmembers to the feed side of the machine.

8. In a machine of the class described, stapling devices, guiding meansfor the assembled blank material, spacing members adapted receptaclebeneath-said guiding means and inclined towards the feed end of themachine, means, for feeding the assembled material and spacing membersto the machine and permit the spacer members to drop from the blankmaterial and into said receptacle.

9. In a machine for making wire-bound box blanks, means for guiding theblanks through the machine, means for guiding the binding wire upon theassembled blanks, means for securing said wire to said blanks and meansfor feeding the binding wire, the binding wire 0 crating to feed theblank material througli the machine.

- 10. In a machine for making wire box blanks,'means for guiding theblanks through the machine, spacing members adapted to space theassembled blank material, 1B5 l means for guiding the binding wire uponthe assembled blanks, means for stapling the binding wire upon theblanks, means for, wire. and

bound means for returning the spacing members to the feed side-of themachine.

'11. In a machine of the class described,

anvilsspaeed from saidg's'tap stapling devices,

means for the assembled ling devices, guidi'n blank material flus 1125*1 with said anvils and; at I I one side thereof, a table at the otherside ofu said anvils and spaced therefrom,"areceptae the table.

12. In a machine of the class described,

stapling devices, anvns spaced from said stapling devices, guiding meansfor the assembled blank material flush with said anvils and at one sidethereof, a table at the other side of said anvils and sntced therefrom,s acing blocks between the confr0nting encs of said assembled blankmaterial and adapted to-drop between the anvil and table as the blankmaterial ){lSSOS thereover.

13. In a machine for ma iing wire-bound blanks, by stitching togethersheets or strips,

cleats and binding-wire in the manner set forth, the combination withthe stitchingmechanlsm of meansifor moving the assembled blank-materialacross the stitchingmechanism comprisin bindin -wire engaging andthrusting teed-mee ianism with means for uiding the binding-Wire therefromu on t e blank-material.

14. n a machine for making wire-bonnd blanks, by stitching togethersheets or strips,

cleats and binding-wire in the manner set forth, the combination withthe stitching mechanism of means for moving the assem bledblank-material across the stitching mechanism comprisingintermittently-operating binding-W1re--thrusting teal-mechanism withmeans for guiding the binding-wire therefrom upon the blank-material.

15. In a niachine for making wire-bound blanks, by stitching togethersheets or strips, cleats and binding-wire in the niianner set forth, thecombination with the stitchingmechanism of means for moving the assennbled blank-material across the stitching mechanism comprisingbinding-wire engage ing and thrusting feed-mechanism and binding-wireguidetube extending between said feed and stitelling-mechanisms andterminating close to the path of said material.

n testimony whereof we ailix our signa-- "tures, in presence of twowitnesses.

RICHARD G. INWOOD. Cl-IESTER C, CHAPMAN. Witnesses Jnssn EARLLE, A. C.NORDI.

